LogFAQs > #911522404

33. Alan Wake (game) (22 points)
Nomunated by: V_charon (2/5 remaining)

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Importance: 5
Fear: 7
Snake: 10

With inspirations from Stephen King, The Twilight Zone, and David Lynch, Alan Wake still stands as an unfortunate example of a survival horror game that never really got its fare dues in the spotlight. Despite a huge media push including a Machinima web-series, Alan Wake remains a cult classic and fondly remembered by those who experienced it back when it originally came out. Alan Wake was set-up in the same format as a TV series, usually divided between day and night sections, giving the player ample downtime to immerse themselves in the town of Bright Falls before plunging them into the horror setpieces of nightfall. Obviously in the wake of Dead Space and Resident Evil 4, Alan Wake takes an actionized approach to survival horror but its unique mechanics that showcase the duality between light and dark make each encounter tense and cinematic. Shadowy figures known as the Taken nearly always emerge in movie-style slow-mo which makes even the smallest encounters an experience for the player.

Now, let's discuss the story a little bit, because it's up there as one of the best video game narratives ever. Alan Wake is a horror novelist suffering from writer's block, so his wife Alice takes him to the town of Bright Falls under the guise of a vacation in attempt to clear it. One creepy shadow lady and argument later, and Alice is swallowed up by a rising darkness overtaking the town and Alan wakes up a week later with no memory of what happened. Along his journey to rescue Alice and piece together what happened, Alan finds pages of a manuscript he doesn't remember writing, which seem to predict events before they happen. I love the way Alan Wake plays with its meta-elements to craft the story; we're never really sure if what's happening is real, especially as Dr. Hartman diagnoses us with a psychotic break. Yet, the ending makes it clear Alan has the most power over the story; he can write the ending that can make him escape from the clutches of the dark presence. The ending clearly states how authors and creators always have the final say in what happens in their story, and is an important statement on the concept on ownership and the creative process.

In some topical news, Alan Wake was recently put back up on Steam, giving you the perfect opportunity to dive and see what you've been missing all these years!
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If the suspense doesn't kill you, something else will!
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